Communications networks provide voice and data communication between various types of computing devices including smart phones, tablets, personal computers, data servers, content servers, web servers and other possible end points. To provide such connectivity, most communication networks include a plurality of network devices, such as switches, routers, servers, interconnected by transmission links. Over time, in order to ensure quality service, the various network devices within the communications network may require repair, replacement, and/or configuration.
When a communications network experiences interruption in service due to one or more problematic network devices, system administrators usually have to manually intervene to repair, replace, and/or reconfigure the problematic network device. For example, a system administrator may monitor a communications network in an attempt to identify any failing or failed network devices. When such a device is identified, the system administrator proceeds by manually attempting to perform any repair and/or replacement procedures necessary to restore the device. Such manual intervention by the system administrator is disruptive, time-consuming, expensive, and in some cases labor intensive. For example, the system administrator may be required to order a replacement device, dispatch a technician to a remote facility where the technician removes the bad device, replaces it, and then must test and sometimes configure the replacement device. It is with these observations in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were developed.